The 2005 plan swapped Nextel’s interfering frequencies (adjacent to public service frequencies), for a block in the 800 and 1.9 GHz band. It gave many of Nextel’s 700, 800, and 900 Mhz frequencies to public service users at no charge in exchange for 10 Mhz at 1.9 Ghz, made available by the FCC. It also consolidated Nextel’s existing 800 Mhz into a non-interfering section of spectrum.

But existing public service users and television stations at 2 GHz have to move out first, (using gear paid for by Sprint Nextel), before Sprint is able to move in and use their new spectrum.

The slow speed of the 800 MHz Transition and the 2 GHz Rebanding Project are preventing the utilization of Sprint’s 1.9 GHz service, AWS services, and MSS (satellite) frequencies. Broadcasters don’t have to pay a dime for their seven, 12 Mhz wide channels used by tv vans. Group owners, which own most local television stations, are above paying for their spectrum because they provide a “public service” .

Cellular broadband travels further at lower frequencies. Due to their difference in frequencies (700MHz vrs 2-3 GHz), their bandwidth capacities (22MHz vrs 120 MHz), and their spectrum utilization (paired or unpaired), the 700MHz LTE service from Verizon and AT&T will likely provide more universal coverage, but it would probably be slower and more expensive. That’s because more users will share a 700 MHz LTE tower with less “4G” bandwidth then Clear’s 2.6 GHz system.

WiMAX service from Sprint/Clear at 2.6GHz will likely be spottier, but faster and cheaper — without data caps. Combining both 700/800 MHz and 2.6 GHz for “4G” services would be ideal. Mobile could use 800 MHz while 2.6 GHz could replace DSL to the home – something cellular data is currently unable to do cost/effectively.